Mopane Worms – A taste challenge

I’ve always enjoyed trying new things – never afraid to try something at least once. My wife seems to think I’d do well on a show like Fear Factor.

A friend went to visit family up in the Limpopo Province and I asked him if he’d bring back some Mopane worms for me to try. I’d never tasted them before and was keen to try them out.

Some say it’s a delicacy but in fact it’s a traditional source of protein for some South Africans. The mopane worm is actually the caterpillar of a species of moth found in South Africa.

Needless to say I’ve had fun eating a few in front of colleagues, grossing them out – after all it is Friday.

😉

The mopane (Gonimbrasia belina) worm

Adult Emperor Moth from the Mopane worm

Dried Mopane worms - a tasty mid-day snack (sitting on my desk)

I just love this description on the Wikipedia article:

When the caterpillar has been picked, it is pinched at the tail end to rupture the innards. The picker then squeezes it like a tube of toothpaste or lengthwise like a concertina, and whips it to expel the slimy, green contents of the gut.

I also completed a similar challenge where someone took a live cow, killed it, cut off a massive chunk which I threw course chemicals on before burning it and then cutting into smaller pieces before eating it…